Imagine you’ve developed a clear and compelling strategy that addresses the most important challenges facing your organization. What could possibly distract you from such an endeavor? Quite a lot, in fact.
External developments can trigger excitement as well as anxiety. A competitor launches a new product successfully. An activist investor challenges your business model. News about the state of the economy, a geopolitical event, or a disaster suggests a worsening outlook. The rollout of a new technology like generative AI creates a rush of interest in how to deploy it.
Distractions also emanate from within organisations. Overconfidence leads to investment in risky areas. A lack of support manifests as obstacles during implementation. Historical failures inhibit commitment, as people favor safer bets. Lack of success increases pressure to change course. Micromanagement overwhelms your capacity to think. Or a crisis diverts attention toward rebuilding trust with stakeholders.
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At worst, distractions slow down progress and waste effort. But they can also become the seeds of opportunities. After all, strategy is “continued, ongoing problem solving,” as UCLA professor Richard Rumelt put it.
Knee-jerk responses are common, but they rarely work. Leadership teams impose tighter controls in the form of more governance and reporting or focus effort within the organization as if they can insulate themselves from external developments. In doing so, they reduce the organization’s ability to respond to new information that could improve the strategy. They can also encourage people to rebel out of frustration — for example, by engaging in unethical activities or choosing to leave the organization.
Here’s how leaders can respond to the inevitable distractions productively.
Delve into the distractions.
First, understand the nature of the distractions and their causes.
Call out the distraction.
If you’re noticing that you or your team are getting distracted, call it out. It might be obvious — maybe you’re working on projects that aren’t aligned with the strategy, or you’re spending too much time discussing the implications of an external event with colleagues. Sometimes the signs are more subtle: People might start missing deadlines or stop coming forward with new suggestions.
Next, describe the distraction. Ask what your team is doing that isn’t aligned with the strategy and consider the significance of the distraction. This labeling increases self-awareness, which is important to do before exploring causes and actions.
Consider your energy and mood, too. Do you feel excited by the distraction because you feel it improves the strategy, creating more value, even though it wasn’t part of the plan? Does it feel more relevant and exciting than what you were working on before? Are you feeling burned out and in need of an opportunity to recharge and refocus? Or are you feeling unhappy with your project, role, or prospects?
Explore what the distractions are telling you.
Once you’ve described the distractions, work out what they’re telling you. New events, initiatives, or information may challenge the fundamental assumptionsthat underpin the strategy.
For example, a substantial shift in customer sentiment (toward, say, sustainability) may require a reevaluation of your product portfolio, whereas news about an increase in the cost of raw materials may not lead to a change in strategy, even if it puts a dent in short-term profitability.
